Meal time this week has been crazy time. Shopping at the store at the last-minute and hoping to find something healthy that most of the family will eat. The recipe I found had Gnocchi in it, which is a potato dumpling of sorts, Italian style. You can make homemade Gnocchi, but if you knew how labor intensive it is, you would pass. You can also pick it up at the grocery store for a few dollars. I have had great Gnocchi in Italy. I have had great Gnocchi in restaurants. I don’t need to make Gnocchi at home. Seriously way too much work for a week night meal……go the grocery store route baby!

Another week, another Rachel Ray cookbook…..or so it seems. Does this girl ever sleep? I would like to spend a day with her to see what her day is all about. This cookbook is jam-packed with more than 30 minutes meals. There is a section on Vegetarian Dinners, Kosher Meals, Holiday Meals, entre Burgers, A Little More Than 30 Minutes….But Worth It, From My Family To Yours, Starters and Snacks and Holiday Menus. There is even a section on Meals for One. My good friend who recently lost her husband has started to learn how to cook for one. I think she would enjoy this section. WIth so many recipes in this cookbook , you will be able to find at least half that your family will love. I really like this cookbook a lot more than I have her other ones. This one you get good bang for your buck.

The Ruling: I used regular broccoli and not broccoli rabe, as broccoli was on sale. The flavor was good, I really enjoyed it, but all the other members of our family thought it had too much lemon in it. So maybe cut back on the lemon if you were to make it. I did use fresh lemon and I do think that when you use fresh lemon the flavor is a little strong.Â Depending on the chicken sausage you buy will really determine the flavor of this dish. The sausage that I bought had lots of flavor. I think most kids will like this dish, middle child picked out the broccoli but youngest child ate the broccoli, go figure!

Gnocchi with Fresh Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe, page 179

Ingredients:

Salt

1 (12 to 18 ounce) package fresh or frozen gnocchi

2 bunches of broccoli rage, stem ends trimmed and coarsely chopped

4 tablespoons EVOO

1 1/2 pounds Italian chicken sausage links, casing removed

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

zest and juice of 1 lemon

Crusty bread

Directions:

Bring large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the gnocchi. Once the water is boiling, add some salt, add the gnocchi, and cook according to package directions. Right before draining, remove and reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

While the water for the gnocchi si coming to a boil, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large high-sided skillet. Add some salt and the broccoli rabe and simmer for 5 minutes; drain and reserve. Return the skillet to the stove and heat 2 tablespoons for EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the chicken sausage and break it up with the back of a spoon or a potato masher while it cooks and browns, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper until the onions start to get tender. Remove the sausage and onions from the skillet and reserve. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO and heat it up. Add the drained gnocchi to the skillet and brown lightly for a couple of minutes. Return the sausage and onions and reserved broccoli rabe to the pan. Toss to combine and add the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and serve with the bread.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa SchmalenbergerÂ operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.Â She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .Â Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.Â For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan pageÂ here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.Â It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their timeâ€¦.thanks for taking the time to help me out.